RMC team shines at national Enactus community work presentation competition

BILLINGS, April 7, 2014 – For the first time in 15 years of efforts, the Rocky Mountain College Enactus (formerly known as SIFE) team placed in the top 20 at the U.S. national Enactus competition in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The national competition motto is “When we compete to improve lives, we all win.” Enactus describes its work in 36 countries as “a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world.”

“Our projects this year are very special,” said Karen Beiser, associate professor of business administration and economics and Enactus advisor. At the competition, the team presented its assistance to two community non-profits. Workforce Women supports Billings-area women from Passages and YWCA programs, who have little education and many challenges, in finding meaningful employment. The team is also helping the owner of Missoula-based Pamba Toto to help her small business, which supports Kenyan orphans and HIV-positive women, build on its existing donations to empower its clients.

RMC beat “amazing competition” from schools such as Carnegie Mellon and Alabama State University, said Beiser. “The teams that made it to the finals are all giants in the Enactus organization, with teams that have 100+ students, which makes it quite difficult for us to compete at that level.”

The small but mighty RMC group is one of about 500 undergraduate Enactus groups in the U.S. “Our team’s finish in the top 20 of the 200+ teams who made it to the competition is an extraordinary achievement that demonstrates the incredible hard work of the members,” Beiser said.

On the RMC campus, the Enactus team continues to educate students on how to manage money, deal with credit, and plan for a stable financial future. In March, RMC Enactus hosted a small business seminar. The team’s Suit Up! room continues to help any RMC student in need of professional attire at no cost.